SPORTS HEADLINES

The Sanger Indians came to Boyd Friday night looking to avenge an upset loss at their 2012 homecoming game.

Forty-eight minutes and 90 points later, they had accomplished their mission.

The Indians, 0-10 last year, evened their record at 2-2 and dropped Boyd to 0-4 with a 55-35 loss.

But Yellowjacket coach Brandon Hopkins said his team has no reason to hang their heads.

“That’s a very good team right there,” he said. “They can run, they can throw, they can catch, they can play defense. You look at the scoreboard and yeah, we got beat 55-35, but man, we played hard and executed, for the most part.”

The ‘Jackets drew first blood, surviving a tipped-pass interception on their opening series. They held Sanger to four-and-out and started on their own 35.

A six-yard pass to Dalton Stidham and a seven-yard keeper by sophomore quarterback Clay Barnett put first downs on the board, then Quaylynn Wells picked up 14 on a sweep to put the ball at the Sanger 28.

That’s what he got on the next play, flashing some speed off-tackle for the touchdown.

Sanger answered with a four-minute scoring drive, riding the running of juniors Tre’von Jackson and quarterback Brandon Mann and tying the game with 1:51 left in the first frame.

Joseph Tate caught a 32-yard strike from Barnett to highlight Boyd’s next drive, and the Jackets regained the lead at 14-7 when Fino Cardona turned a short catch into a scintillating 24-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.

The next three touchdowns belonged to Sanger. It was 28-14 when Cardona blasted up the middle for 40 yards and another Boyd touchdown to make it 28-21.

Mann marched his team back down the field, scoring on a 15-yard keeper to make it 35-21 at halftime.

Using a balanced attack, the Indians scored first in the third quarter and led 42-21 before the ‘Jackets could answer.

Marching from their own 32, Barnett cracked off runs of 9 and 5 yards, then gave it to Wells, who broke away for 31 yards to the Sanger 18. A couple of run attempts were stuffed and Barnett got hit for a one-yard sack before hitting Joseph Tate for a touchdown on a 4th and 10.

Nathan Thomas, who hit all five of his extra-point attempts, made it 42-28.

But the ‘Jackets just couldn’t stop Sanger. Mann moved his team down the field again for a touchdown in the final minute of the third quarter, then they mounted a six-minute drive to eat up most of the fourth.

Jackson scooted around the left end for a 21-yard score to make it 55-28.

Barnett hit Xavier Kyle from seven yards out to put the final touchdown on the board with 1:33 left.

Cardona rushed 18 times for 129 yards to lead the Yellowjackets, and Wells broke off runs of 14, 28 and 31 yards to add explosiveness to the offense.

But Sanger’s Jackson carried the ball for 175 yards and Mann had 136, while also passing for 194.

After a tough pre-district schedule, Hopkins looks forward to the ledger going back to 0-0 next week when Bowie comes to town to start 5-2A play.

“We’re still pretty banged up,” he said. “I’ve lost a few kids, but I’m hoping to get a couple of them back next week. Hopefully we start district next week somewhat healthy.”

After putting up 35 points on a top-quality team, Hopkins and his team are still very much in the competitive mood.

“I’m not down about this,” he said. “We’re 0-4 right now but we’ve been playing hard. It all starts new next week.”